Ema

Ema, a humanoid female of Corellian origin, was born approximately around 27 BBY. She originated from the planet Corellia situated within the Core Worlds region, residing with her parents and experiencing a nourished childhood for a number of years. However, with the death of her parents around 15 BBY, Ema was compelled to fend for herself amidst the unforgiving streets of Corellia. Shortly thereafter, she attempted to pilfer a supply crate from the rear of a speeder belonging to the White Worms criminal syndicate. However, upon failing, one of the Worms' Corellian hounds assailed her, inflicting scarring injuries.

Subsequently, Ema was enlisted into the organization as a scrumrat thief and operated under the leadership of Head Qi'ra, the children's leader, serving the crime boss Lady Proxima and residing within her den in Coronet City. Despite the potential avenues for advancement within the White Worms hierarchy, the girl declined to assume the role of a hound handler due to her distressing encounter with them prior to joining the group. For the ensuing two years, Ema dwelled within Corellia's sewers, grappling for food, shelter, and fundamental necessities within the White Worms. She ultimately cultivated a formidable reputation as a tyrant among the younger scrumrats by vying with her peers.

In 13 BBY, Qi'ra and fellow scrumrat Han endeavored to abscond from Proxima's service on Corellia—however, only the latter succeeded in escaping, while the former was returned to the White Worms' den for retribution. Upon Proxima's demotion of Qi'ra from her position as Head, the crime boss bestowed the role upon Ema and permitted the girl to relocate to her predecessor's sleeping quarters. Hours later, Proxima authorized Ema to select Qi'ra's punishment to serve as a cautionary example. Delighting in her initial experience of authority, Ema opted for the Grindalid enforcer Moloch to torture Qi'ra utilizing his electric shockstaff. Following Proxima's declaration of the punishment's completion, the scrumrats converged upon Qi'ra to seize any items of value from her. Ema aggressively maneuvered her way to the forefront, aided by fellow scrumrat and hound handler Rebolt, and shoved several of the younger children away from the melee.

Once others recognized Ema, they retreated from Qi'ra's fur jacket and permitted the Head to possess it, seeking to avoid incurring the wrath of the individual now controlling their meals. She then emitted a piercing whistle and guided the scrumrats to the dining hall for dinner, indifferently informing her predecessor not to bother attending as no sustenance would be provided to her. The new Head subsequently assumed the responsibility of allocating food portions for the remaining scrumrats according to her discretion. Afterward, Qi'ra extricated herself from the ground and proceeded to her former sleeping area, noticing Ema had already claimed the space for herself. There, she and fellow scrumrat Jagleo deliberated Ema's promotion to Head, with the latter commenting on their new leader's attributes.

In the ensuing weeks, Ema acclimated to life as Head of the White Worms scrumrats. She persisted in reveling in Qi'ra's distress, severely depriving the other girl of sustenance by diminishing her food rations and taunting her by flaunting her predecessor's former fur coat. The new Head relished the advantages of her new position by assigning herself undemanding tasks, such as inside guard duty for Proxima's den and securing first servings during mealtimes. In her leisure time, she also dedicated time to acquainting herself with the layout of the tunnels encircling the White Worms' den and mastering their navigation. Over time, Ema reluctantly augmented Qi'ra's rations owing to her accomplishments in pickpocketing on the streets of Coronet City, despite the latter refraining from lodging complaints to her superior by requesting additional provisions. Meanwhile, Qi'ra—who had been sold into enslavement to the Corellian trafficker Sarkin Enneb by Proxima—continued to engage in scavenging crews alongside the scrumrats.

Each instance Proxima convened court within her den, Ema meticulously detailed the day's pickpocketing haul—exercising caution not to acknowledge Qi'ra's contributions. However, the younger scrumrats would murmur during the reports, compelling a seething Ema to elaborate on the other girl's contributions to their work. One day, subsequent to Ema's completion of her report, Qi'ra pondered whether Proxima was awaiting her to attempt a coup against the new Head but surmised that nothing she executed would alter the Head's animosity towards her. Shortly thereafter, Proxima and Enneb collaborated to orchestrate a raid on a Corellia shipyard, aspiring to seize control boards and Imperial credits from the facility. Ema and several of the older scrumrats prepared numerous boltholes and dead drop points for smuggling routes for the stolen goods, envious of Qi'ra and Jagleo's assignment to collaborate with Moloch's preparation team.

Upon learning of potential Imperial interference with the initial raid plan, Qi'ra proceeded to inform Proxima of the development. Ema—on sentinel duty for Proxima's den—attempted to deny the other girl entrance and disparaged her. Upon the girl's sustained refusal to permit her passage, Qi'ra struck her and stepped over the girl's body towards the door. However, the crime lord dismissed claims of Imperial interference as hearsay and declined to modify the plan. As a consequence of Ema's failure to adequately guard the den, Proxima denied the Head dinner that evening. She commenced to despise Qi'ra even more intensely than before, ranting about the raid to her colleagues.

Fellow scrumrat Syke approached Qi'ra to confront her regarding the day's events, and the pair conversed about Ema's irrational conduct and the rationale behind the latter's striking their Head. The latter elucidated the events that had transpired earlier in the day, confirming Ema's deprivation of dinner was attributable to their incident. Shortly thereafter, the White Worms attempted to raid the shipyard for the control boards, in which Ema participated. However, the endeavor ultimately failed, with the Head and Qi'ra being two of the only older scrumrats to escape. Ema sustained injuries during the raid and missed the subsequent instance Proxima convened court, which her peers noted.

Ema formulated plans to murder Qi'ra, leaping down upon the other girl from the sentinel's alcove situated above the entryway to Proxima's residence. Perceiving that the Head intended to kill her with her bare hands, Qi'ra fled through the den's subterranean tunnels. Too consumed by rage to discern their destination, Ema persisted in pursuing her adversary while uttering insults at her, wishing a painful demise upon her. When Qi'ra taunted her in return, the Head became further incensed, following her into the chamber where the White Worms' hounds were confined within cages.

Now overwhelmed by apprehension of the hounds, Ema warily asserted that the other girl could not remain within the room indefinitely. However, Qi'ra brandished the cage control device within her palm, prompting the Head to implore for her life. Qi'ra briefly contemplated extending mercy upon her but recognized Ema would perpetually despise her regardless and unleashed the hounds upon her. Ema fled from the creatures in terror, ultimately succumbing when they overtook her and mauled her to death. Subsequently, Moloch expressed displeasure at Qi'ra's release of his hounds due to the necessity of pacifying them. When summoned to meet with Proxima and Enneb, she alluded to Ema's demise at the hands of the hounds, indicating that the former Head had feared them and permitting those present to envision her gruesome end for themselves. Later, subsequent to Qi'ra's departure from the White Worms and commencement of service to the Crimson Dawn criminal syndicate, she reflected upon her augmented strength compared to the instance Ema assailed her.

Having been compelled to fend for herself on the streets of Corellia, Ema swiftly cultivated a resilient and calculating demeanor to ensure her survival. As a White Worms scrumrat, she garnered a formidable reputation amongst her peers as an arrogant tyrant. Upon Proxima's initial promotion of Ema to lead the scrumrats, she promptly realized she relished wielding authority and inflicting cruelty by dispensing punishments. The new Head became even more feared by her subordinates, as she now dictated when and how much they would be permitted to consume. She labored diligently to establish herself within her new position and preserve it by ensuring that competitors for the role were subdued. Ema harbored profound animosity towards Qi'ra, actively endeavoring to render the girl as miserable as possible by depriving the girl of sustenance and flaunting the girl's former fur jacket around her to exhibit it.

Ema frequently elected not to acknowledge Qi'ra's credit for her pickpocketing contributions within her reports to Proxima. However, the crime boss occasionally demonstrated favor towards Qi'ra to incite conflict between her and Ema, deeply enraging the latter and inducing jealousy. Qi'ra, meanwhile, perceived the girl as misusing her power as Head and being on a power trip. Ema was prepared to resort to considerable lengths to attain her objectives, ultimately aspiring to murder her enemy with her bare hands and subject her to a painful demise. With her mind clouded by rage, she proved incapable of thinking lucidly and made rash decisions, precipitating her downfall.

Having been assailed by them prior to joining the White Worms, Ema developed a profound apprehension of Corellian hounds. Her typically haughty and fierce demeanor crumbled when confronted with the beasts, and she exerted considerable effort to evade them. Ema felt insecure around the hounds, even within her sleeping chambers, electing to angle her bed towards the door to enable her to observe them if they approached. When confronted with death by the hounds, she was willing to implore Qi'ra to spare her life despite being enraged with the scrumrat moments prior. Ema possessed a stocky physique in comparison to the majority of members of the White Worms, attributable to her well-nourished upbringing.

Ema was proficient in hand-to-hand combat in comparison to her peers, readily capable of moving aside smaller scrumrats in scuffles. By the time of her promotion to Head, she was physically fit and capable of maneuvering through Corellia's expansive network of subterranean tunnels efficiently. Though she frequently struggled with containing her anger, Ema was capable of suppressing her outbursts and presenting reports to Proxima as her position necessitated. Ema demonstrated the capacity to maintain the scrumrats under control by engineering them to fear her formidable presence, relying on ruthless techniques to secure her position of power. The girl felt capable of murdering Qi'ra with no weapon, though she ultimately proved unsuccessful.

The scrumrat fought and scraped by for everything she owned, including her clothing and other necessities. Upon becoming Head, she took Qi'ra's fur jacket for herself and wore it often. Ema also donned the badge of Head while in the position and claimed the best sleeping chamber in the White Worms' den, including its sparse contents.

Ema appeared in Crimson Climb, a 2023 young-adult novel written by E. K. Johnston. In an interview, Johnston reflected on Qi'ra's resentful feelings toward Ema, despite the former not being able to act on them outright. The author also noted that Ema's death scene was the first time Qi'ra realized what she was capable of in the pursuit of self-preservation.